One Fine Day (sort of)
by KyleParker01
Summary: When a stranger named Kyle rolls into town, she finds out Storybrooke is a lot more than she bargained for. But what did she expect from a town that wouldn't even show up on Google Maps? It certainly wasn't waking up to the exact same day over and over! And she certainly never expected to have to play cupid with the son of the Mayor and the town Sheriff! (SwanQueen is endgame here)
1. Chapter 1

**One Fine Day (Sort Of)**

 **CHAPTER 1, Day 1**

Kyle swerved off the road, coming to a stop just in front of a green and slightly rusted town limit sign. She stared in confusion before glancing down at the screen on her phone. Google Maps was working, but there wasn't any trace of a town anywhere on the screen. She looked back at the sign, briefly wondering if the app simply needed to be updated. _Do "new" towns just appear?_ Kyle shook her head at that thought. New towns didn't just appear and by the looks of the town limit sign, it had been there for quite some time.

" _Storybrooke?"_ Kyle let the word slip out in the empty truck, eyebrows furrowed at the, borderline, unbelievable name. "Where _the fuck_ am I?"

Looking back down at her phone, Kyle touched the screen. Taking the app back to the main page she quickly typed in the name of the town, getting zero results. She didn't know why it mattered whether or not the supposed town showed up on any map. There were plenty of towns that weren't big enough to be on the map. What concerned Kyle was the fact that somehow her GPS had taken her off course and she had no idea where she was. But unless she wanted to turn around and backtrack an hour, Kyle was about to find out exactly where she had gotten herself lost. Glancing back down at the zero results on the screen Kyle sighed, dropped the phone onto the passenger seat and pulled back on the road.

After ten minutes of winding roads surrounded by nothing but forest, finally signs of life started to slip into view. Signs of buildings, anyway. Whether or not there were people remained to be seen. Coming to a stop, Kyle saw a sign that said Main Street and looked both ways. To the left, there looked to be a shop or two and to her right there appeared to be a lot more options. _Right it is._ Kyle thought to herself before pulling out. Having no idea where she was going or what she was going to find, Kyle crept down the road well below the speed limit all the while hoping to find that there were actually people in the town that time forgot. Just as she looked out her right window, Kyle happened to see a couple coming out a door and down a set of steps. She hit her brakes and looked at the sign above the door.

"Granny's?" She mumbled to herself. "Of course there's a _Granny's_."

Kyle pulled the truck over to the curb and grabbed her phone. It was 8:30 in the morning and she'd been driving since three. If this was a place to eat, she was going to get some food. As she walked, Kyle looked at her phone and clicked on the little envelope in the top left corner that told her she had messages waiting. When the screen popped up, Kyle realized she was looking at Twitter. The messages were from Catherine. She quickly read over them, laughing to herself as she walked up the short path. Clicking the bottom line, Kyle was typing out a response as she walked up the steps and through the front door, not once looking up. She'd gotten quite adept at walking and typing, managing to never run into anything or anyone. But just as she hit the send button and looked up, Kyle ran right into whoever had been standing just inside the door.

The woman stumbled back, quickly holding her arm away from her body, putting distance between them as Kyle looked up. She was holding a to-go cup of coffee and sporting a seriously pissed off look on her face. But damn, she was hot. Kyle's mouth fell open, intending to apologize, though nothing was coming out but stuttering and she watched helplessly as the other woman appeared to grow angrier at her lack of manners.

"I- uh...Oh my god, I'm so-"

"Sorry?" It was one word, but Kyle nearly melted on the spot. This woman's voice was slightly raspy and sounded like pure sex. "I believe the word you are looking for is _sorry._ But you apparently have no manners _or_ the ability to speak and function like a normal human being."

"I'm so sorry." Kyle finally spit out the apology, looking the woman over to make sure she hadn't spilled any of the drink from her cup. "You didn't spill your- I mean, I didn't make you spill your drink, did I?"

"You're still alive, are you not?" The woman's attitude was through the roof. She was clearly a bitch, but for some reason it just wasn't registering in Kyle's brain. As a matter of fact, Kyle was suddenly wondering if she'd left her brain in the front seat of her truck. _Or in my pants._ She thought to herself. _Yeah…definitely in my pants._ "There _really_ is something wrong with you, isn't there dear?"

"Yep." Kyle mumbled under her breath, suddenly finding the floor more interesting than the rest of her surroundings. When she looked back up the brunette was staring at her with a look of disbelief and Kyle did the only thing she could think to do. Holding out her hand she said, "I'm Kyle, by the way."

If it was possible, the woman's eyes nearly rolled out of her head and it was suddenly clear to Kyle that she would not be getting this gorgeous woman's name. Staring down at the hand she'd extended, Kyle quickly realized that she would not be getting a friendly hand shake either. _So much for first impressions._ The brunette stared at her a moment longer before she shook her head and finally responded. "That's a man's name."

Had Kyle been less dumbfounded, she would have laughed. Kyle was roughly 5'7", about 150lbs with short brown hair that she kept styled in a boyish undercut that fell over her forehead and swept to the side. She was used to be being mistaken for a guy and even more used to adverse reactions to her name, but something about this woman's ballsy attitude had her attention. Kyle had always been attracted to women with attitude, but the attitude was usually directed at someone other than herself. This instant attraction was downright masochistic, so it was a good thing she was only passing through. Not to mention, this woman was _way_ out of her league. Kyle couldn't help but glance down at her battered but most comfortable pair of jeans and plain black t-shirt. And this woman in front of her, wearing a pair of black pinstriped pants with a white button down and matching pinstripe vest... Yeah she was definitely in a completely different ballpark kind of league. Just as Kyle was about to respond, her phone started blaring a notification sound and before she could stop it, the woman in front of her quickly brushed past her, making sure to bump her shoulder. The action knocked Kyle slightly off balance and she laughed to herself as she turned to watch the brunette walk out the door.

When Kyle turned her attention back to the diner, she realized that the entire restaurant had been silent, but quickly went back to minding their own business now that the brunette was gone. _Weird._ Kyle thought to herself as she approached the counter. She sat down at the bar and responded to the message as she waited for the waitress behind the counter to make her way to where Kyle was sitting. She watched the younger girl out of the corner of her eye as she lazily scrolled through the missed messages in the group chat that she was a part of. When she saw the girl headed her way, Kyle sat her phone aside and smiled at her as she came to a stop.

"I see you survived your run-in with Mayor Mills." The girl laughed and shook her head. She held out her hand and Kyle took it. "I'm Ruby. You must be new here."

"I'm sorry. Did you say _Mayor_?" Kyle shook her head in disbelief. It wasn't even nine in the morning and there was no way this day could get any better. " _That_ is your Mayor?"

"Yeah. Her name is Regina. She's kind of a hard ass. Not as much as she used to be. But it happens from time to time." Ruby sat a cup in front of Kyle and poured it full of coffee. Kyle hadn't asked for it and she wasn't exactly supposed to have the caffeine, but she wasn't about to turn it away. "Don't tell anyone I said so, but I think it's all just an act."

"Kyle." Kyle glanced back at the door even though the brunette was long gone, then turned back to the waitress. "I'm sorry. My name is Kyle."

"I heard." Ruby smiled as she handed Kyle a menu. She winked at Kyle as she was about to walk away and said, "It's a man's name, remember?"

Kyle shook her head and laughed as she turned her attention to the menu. It was simple, which Kyle appreciated. Too many choices made for a hard decision. By the time Ruby made her way back to where Kyle was sitting, she had thankfully decided what to order. As interesting as it seemed to be, she didn't want to be in this town any longer than she had to be. Once she was through with her breakfast, Kyle was waiting on her change when Ruby came back and decided to make more conversation.

"So you're not from around here?" Ruby asked as she handed Kyle the money she owed her.

"Just passing through." Kyle answered, finishing off her coffee and standing up from the stool. "Kind of...on a road trip."

"Alone?" Ruby looked at Kyle as if that was the saddest thing she'd ever heard and Kyle laughed.

"Yeah. Alone..." Kyle shrugged. "Sometimes it's nice to just get in your vehicle and go. But, I wasn't exactly supposed to be passing through here. I didn't even know this town existed. But my GPS got me lost somehow, which is exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to do."

"GPS?" Ruby looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah. GPS. You know... GPS?" Ruby just stared at Kyle. No sign that she had any idea what Kyle was talking about. _How is that even possible?_ "You know... Global Positioning Sys- Yeah, you have no idea what GPS is. How is that even possible?"

Ruby just shrugged.

"Anyway...It was nice to meet you." Kyle said as she headed for the door. "Breakfast was great and...yeah...good luck with your Mayor."

Kyle headed for her truck, a white Xterra sitting by the curb a few yards up the sidewalk. She looked around as she made the short trek and thought to herself that the town just seemed off. Something about the whole place was giving her the creeps and she couldn't wait to get back on the road and on with her life. She got settled in the driver's seat and buckled up before putting the key in the ignition. When she turned the key, nothing happened. Taking a deep breath, Kyle turned the key again and still...nothing happened.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Kyle nailed the steering wheel with both hands before calmly reaching for the key again. Nothing happened. The engine wasn't even trying to turn over. No clicking sounds signaling that it was probably a dead battery. No nothing. "Fuck. Just...fuck my actual life."

Frustrated, Kyle hit the steering wheel a few more times before running a hand through her short brown hair. She was about to pick up her phone to call someone when she realized, there was no one to call. Kyle nearly jumped out of her skin when there was suddenly a tapping on her passenger side window. When she looked up, there was a blonde standing there staring at her. _What now?_ Kyle thought to herself as she hit the button to roll down the window. When nothing happened she remembered all over again that her truck wouldn't start and therefor had no power. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she exhaled. Stepping out of the truck, Kyle walked around the front, meeting the blonde stranger half way.

"Is there a problem?" The woman asked, crossing her arms and taking a stance that almost looked defensive.

"Ah...no." Kyle shook her head, wondering how much of her breakdown the woman had seen and wondered why she even cared. Kyle gave the blonde a once over and on the way back up, her eyes locked on the shiny gold badge stuck to the woman's belt. "You're a cop."

"The Sheriff, actually." The blonde cocked her head to the side, waiting to see if Kyle had anything to say and Kyle couldn't help but wonder if this whole situation was about to go downhill. The Sheriff pointed to the driver's side of the truck. "So, uh, what was _that_ all about?"

"Look, Sheriff...I'm just passing through and-"

"Yeah, that's not what I asked you." The Sheriff took a step closer to Kyle and instinctively, Kyle took a step back. _What the hell is in the water here?_ Kyle held up her hands to show the Sheriff there was no reason for her aggressive behavior, but she just held her ground. Pissing off the Mayor and the Sheriff both in the same day. What were the chances?

"Yeah, uhm, my truck won't start." Kyle hesitantly propped herself against the front of the truck with one hand before she realized that she was one hand away from being in a position for the Sheriff to needlessly frisk her. Which she honestly believed the Sheriff looked like she might do. Kyle stood back up and stepped away from the truck nonchalantly and shoved both hands into her front pockets. "Is there someone I can get to come take a look at it? I really need to get back on the road."

The Sheriff looked at something over Kyle's shoulder and then back to Kyle's truck. Kyle turned to see what the woman had been looking at only to find an auto garage across the street that read _Michael's Auto and Marine_. "Well that's convenient."

"I didn't catch your name." The Sheriff spoke up, drawing Kyle's attention back to the situation she was currently in. Kyle sighed, wondering if this was going to go anything like her run in with the Mayor.

"Kyle." She offered her hand and unlike the uppity Mayor, the Sheriff accepted it. "And yes, I know it's a man's name. Your Mayor made sure to inform me of that. Like I didn't already know."

"Ah. You met Regina, then. Let me guess, you pissed her off?" Kyle nodded and the blonde laughed. "Not surprised. I'd congratulate you, but you're not the first. That's typically my job. I'm Emma. Swan."

"Nice to meet you Sheriff Swan." Kyle ran a hand through her hair again and glanced down at her phone to check the time. "I guess I need to go see...Michael?"

"Yeah. Tell him I sent you over." The Sheriff said as she stepped back onto the sidewalk and headed in the direction of Granny's.

"Thanks, Sheriff." Kyle called after her as she went the opposite direction to see about getting her truck fixed.

 **. . .**

"Well it's not a dead battery, that's for sure." The man, Michael, said as he dropped the hood on Kyle's truck. "I'll get a couple of my guys to give it a push over to the shop and we'll take a look at it first thing in the morning."

"In the morning? It's only ten in the morning. _Today!_ I need to be on the road. An hour ago!" Kyle's voice was rising in pitch. Her disbelief of the situation frustrating her. "You seriously can't do anything until tomorrow?"

"I already have a couple of cars in my shop as it is." Michael shoved his dirty rag into his back pocket, looking at the stranger while she took a moment to calm down. "Looking at it tomorrow is me doing you a favor."

Michael held out his hand and Kyle looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I'll need your key, ma'am."

" _Ma'am?_ Really?" Kyle shook her head and laughed as she worked the truck's key off of her key ring. _Do I look like a ma'am?_ Kyle thought to herself. She slapped the key into his hand. "Is there a place I can stay? A hotel or motel or...something?"

"You'll want to go see Granny. She runs the Inn as well as the diner." Michael informed her as he turned to head back to the garage.

Kyle took a deep breath and tried to reason with herself. She wasn't on a schedule. She actually had nowhere to be and as long as she could get a room, she'd just stay in it to avoid running into any more people. Opening the back end of the truck, Kyle dug out her back pack and another duffle before shutting it a little harder than necessary. _Stuck in this fucking town..._ Kyle was shaking her head as she headed back toward the diner, paying attention this time as she headed through the doors.

"You're back!" Ruby's cheerful voice echoed through the diner as the door slipped shut behind Kyle. The waitress came to a stop at the end of the counter where Kyle remained standing. "And you have bags. Did you decide to stay?"

"More like, held hostage." Kyle said before realizing how it must have sounded. "My truck won't start. The guy who owns the garage across the street is going to take a look at it in the morning. He said I needed to speak to someone named _Granny_ about a room?"

"Or me!" Ruby's bubbly personality was almost contagious Kyle realized as she couldn't stop herself from smiling. If she didn't speak to anyone else in this town, at least meeting Ruby had made her time less painful. Before Kyle realized what was happening, Ruby had taken off her apron and was yelling at someone who must have been in the kitchen. "Granny, we have a guest! I'm just going to take her over to the Inn and get her checked in!"

Kyle followed Ruby back through the front door and into the diner's courtyard. She was attempting to make idle conversation with the cheerful waitress as they walked through the gate and onto the sidewalk. Ruby slowed her steps and allowed Kyle to walk first through the archway. Kyle turned to look at Ruby who was close behind as she continued to talk and unexpectedly she felt herself bumping into something warm and slightly soft. Kyle cringed as she heard Ruby gasp and slowly turned to see exactly who she'd bumped into this time.

"You." Regina spoke through clenched teeth. The disdain in her voice was ever present.

Ruby spoke up first but her words were quickly interrupted by the woman she was attempting to speak to. "Madam Mayor, I was just taking-"

"Yourself for a walk?" Regina suggested firmly and Ruby's shoulders slumped as she turned and started up the sidewalk without even questioning the woman. Regina turned back to Kyle, a mask of indifference falling over her features.

"Ruby! I-" Kyle watched her walk several feet away and wasn't sure if the younger woman was going to stop and wait on her or not. Turning back to the Mayor, Kyle had no idea what to do. "But she- I- We were just- I mean...I need to follow her. She-"

"You have _bags_ now." Regina raised an eyebrow as she waited for any form of response. " _Why_ are you still in my town?"

Kyle looked her in the eyes, deciding right then that she didn't know this woman, so she sure as hell wasn't going to put up with her attitude. "Well, you know...I ran into you earlier, met Ruby in the diner and then after breakfast I ran into, although not literally, your extremely gorgeous Sheriff and decided this town was clearly full of hot woman with attitude and hell, that's right up my alley!"

Kyle winked at the Mayor who stood there with her mouth just short of hanging open and promptly turned and started walking in the direction of Ruby. Ruby, who had decided she'd gotten far enough away from the woman who had told her to leave. When Kyle caught up with her, she hadn't bothered to look back as she'd walked away from the Mayor, but Ruby couldn't help herself and took one last glance as she pushed off the fence and led them both towards the Inn.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I could see the vein on her forehead from here." Ruby laughed. "That wasn't very smart, you know?"

"Eh. I'll be gone tomorrow." Kyle laughed with her and shrugged. "Why not have a little fun _today_?"

 **Day 2**

Kyle was slowly coming to as the morning sun had begun to filter through the blinds in the room Ruby had put her in the day before. Rolling over, Kyle reached for the night stand and grabbed her phone to look at the time. The numbers on the screen read 7:45 and Kyle groaned and dropped the phone to the bed. She definitely hadn't meant to sleep so late. And she really needed to get a shower and go find out just how long it was going to take before she could get on the road again. Rolling out of bed, Kyle grabbed her charger and rolled it up before shoving it into her backpack. After rifling through her duffle and digging out a new set of clothes all she had to do was hit the shower and get the hell out of this place.

Showered and dressed, Kyle was resisting the urge to run from the Inn. Bags in tow, she was hopeful she could just leave her stuff in her truck, grab some breakfast and be gone before noon. When she reached the sidewalk in front of the Inn and took a right, Kyle looked up to find her truck parked next to the sidewalk where she had left it the day before. _Thank god! Maybe he got it fixed already!_ Kyle couldn't help being a little more than happy with the prospect of skipping breakfast altogether and getting the hell out of dodge. Honestly though, she wouldn't be skipping out on food. When she reached the truck, Kyle opened the back, dropped her stuff amongst the rest of her things and shut the door more carefully this time. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Kyle clicked on the dialogue bubble first and brought up the group convo and typed out a quick message to her friends.

 _ **Morning ladies! Still stuck in the town that time forgot, but woke up to find my truck all fixed and ready to go! Hope everyone has a fantastic day!**_

Stepping away from the truck, Kyle headed toward Granny's with her face still glued to her phone as she read her morning messages from Catherine. Smiling to herself as usual, Kyle clicked on the blank line and began to type out a response as she walked up the path. On the top step, Kyle continued typing with one hand and reached for the door with the other.

 _ **I'm guessing you're probably still on your Saturday morning walk! Hope you're having a great day so far. It's 8:30 here already and I can't wait to get the hell oughebabi**_

Kyle looked up and couldn't help but laugh. How in the hell had she managed to run into this woman three times? Clearly Regina was not amused and Kyle's laugh quickly died down as she realized she should probably apologize. She was standing back, holding her arm away from her body just like the day before and luckily, she hadn't spilled anything on her clothes. Clothes that Kyle suddenly noticed were exactly the same as the day before. She didn't know this woman at all, but Regina did not look like the type of woman to wear the same outfit in a month, let alone two days in a row. The pissed off look on her face oddly mirrored the one she'd taken on the day before as well. Kyle smirked again, trying her best not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Clearly, there was a higher power at work that was determined for Kyle's path to keep crossing with the gorgeous Mayor's.

"I, uh... I'm really..."

"Sorry?" Regina was quick to finish the sentence for Kyle once again. "I believe the word you are looking for is sorry. But you apparently have no manners or the ability to speak and function like a normal human being."

Kyle was feeling a serious sense of déjà vu and looked around to see if someone was possibly playing a joke on her. Ruby was standing behind the counter watching the interaction and the rest of the diner's patrons had stopped what they were doing as well. All eyes on Kyle and the Mayor. Something weird was definitely going on in this town and all Kyle wanted to do was get in her car and leave it behind her.

"I'm so sorry." Kyle apologized finally and couldn't help but give the woman another once over. She didn't want to repeat herself from the incident the day before, but had no idea what to say to smooth over the situation. "I didn't make you spill your drink, did I?"

"You're still alive, are you not?" Regina responded just like the day before. _There's something seriously fucking weird going on here._ Kyle pinched the bridge of her nose and ran a hand through her hair. "There really is something wrong with you, isn't there dear?"

"Okay. I'll play." Kyle nodded her head, completely over the joke they were trying to pull on her. She realized she had thoroughly pissed this woman off the day before and Kyle honestly hadn't thought she'd ever see her again. But clearly Regina had a routine and Kyle had stepped on her toes. Metaphorically, so far. And now they were all paying her back for showing up in their town and throwing off the cycle of boredom and uniformity. Kyle held out her hand. "I'm Kyle. It's nice to meet you."

And just like the day before, Regina looked at Kyle like she'd lost her mind and promptly rolled her eyes. The only difference today was that she already knew Regina's name. But now she wondered if Regina would keep up the charade or actually be polite and give her name as well. Regina stared down at Kyle's hand like she had a disease and Kyle got her answer. Dropping her hand, she shoved them both into her back pockets. _So much for third impressions._ And as if on cue, Regina finally responded. "That's a man's name."

"Depends on who you ask." Kyle mumbled to herself. And even though this whole ordeal was annoying as hell, Kyle couldn't help but find it amusing. Also, the brunette in front of her was still hot standing there in her black heels, pinstripe dress slacks with her white shirt and pinstripe vest. Yesterday the situation hadn't been so funny. Today, Kyle just wanted to laugh. _Definitely a masochist._ "You know-"

Kyle's words were interrupted by her phone going off. Despite knowing it was the Mayor of this town she was dealing with, Kyle smiled and held up a finger silently asking Regina to give her a moment. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and silenced it. Just as she was about to speak again, Regina completely dismissed Kyle, brushing by her and knocking her off balance. Regaining her composure, Kyle laughed and shook her head as she watched the woman storming through the courtyard. Once she was out of sight, Kyle turned back to find everyone suddenly minding their own business.

"It's like the fucking Truman Show around here." Kyle said to herself. She might as well talk to herself. She was the only one making any sense since she rolled out of bed. Approaching the counter, Kyle threw her hand up at Ruby hoping to catch her attention. While she waited on the upbeat girl, Kyle turned her attention back to her phone. The notification had been from Catherine.

 _ **What the hell is oughebabi? And hopefully you won't be stuck there too much longer. Just remember, you're not on a timescale and try to play nice with the locals.**_

 _ **Oh. And don't feed them or they might try to follow you out of town.**_

Kyle laughed out loud at the messages. When she looked at the one she'd been typing before she had run into Regina, Kyle realized she must have touched a bunch of buttons _and_ managed to hit send as well. She'd just add that to the list of all the goofy shit they said to each other all the time and move on with her life. Knowing she could talk to her friend about anything, Kyle quickly shot her another message to explain.

 _ **First...remember what I was telling you yesterday about running into the hot Mayor? Yeah, well...it happened again. How in the fuck, I have no idea! And that's where oughebabi comes in.**_

 _ **I was trying to say OUT. As in I need to get the hell OUT. OF. THIS. TOWN. There is some seriously weird shit going on here. Because I walked into the diner and ran RIGHT back into the Mayor. Just like yesterday.**_

Kyle decided to wait on elaborating until Catherine responded. She put her phone to the side just as Ruby walked up with a coffee cup and a pot of coffee in hand. Ruby laughed and shook her head. "I see you survived your run-in with Mayor Mills. I'm Ruby. You must be new here."

Kyle dropped her head into her hands right there at the counter, leaving Ruby to stare at her in confusion.

"Not you too." Kyle mumbled in a whiny tone. Taking a deep breath, Kyle looked back up at Ruby and had no idea how to proceed. Fifteen minutes into this game and suddenly she was over it. "The Mayor."

"Yeah. Her name is Regina. She's kind of a hard ass. Not as much as she used to be. But it happens from time to time." Ruby sat the cup in front of Kyle just like the day before and poured the coffee almost to the top. _Thank god she left enough room for sugar._ _Or alcohol. Is it too early for alcohol?_ "Don't tell anyone I said so, but I think it's all just an act."

Kyle looked around the diner to see if anyone was paying attention. When she realized that everyone was still minding their own business, she glanced back toward the door before facing Ruby once more. "Kyle. My name is Kyle."

"I heard." Ruby smiled as she handed Kyle a menu and winked as she was about to walk away. "It's a man's name, remember?"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2, Still day 2**

It wasn't funny anymore. Yesterday she had laughed about it. Today, Kyle was thoroughly confused. Shaking the negative thoughts from her head, Kyle gave the menu her attention. And just for the sake of her sanity she decided to order something different than she had the day before. When Ruby came back, Kyle tossed out her order and shoved the menu aside. She was alone in this screwed up town. Her head was beginning to pound and her stomach was suddenly protesting at the lack of food. While she waited on her order, Kyle grabbed her phone and decided to message her Twitter family again.

 _ **You guys, I have no idea what I've gotten myself into, but I think I drove straight into the Twilight Zone! I seriously hope everyone's day is starting off better than mine!**_

And then there was Catherine.

 _ **Bless! Maybe it's just meant to be! Did you flirt with her? Maybe if you were flirty, she'd forgive you. You CAN be charming when you want to be.**_

Kyle shook her head.

 _ **This woman is wearing power suits and ready to kick my ass. I'm a tee/jeans kind of 'guy'. She's way outta my league. And I don't think it's me so much that she's pissed at. I just think she's angry in general. I just made it worse.**_

 _ **Then there's the fact that the minute I started talking to her, every word out of her mouth was exactly the same as it was yesterday. Even the waitress is acting like she doesn't know me. Does that seem weird to you?**_

Send. Kyle waited patiently for something helpful or witty to come her way.

 _ **Not weird at all. You've probably just gotten yourself stuck in some kind of time continuum and are being forced to repeat the same day over and over until you get your shit together and figure out how to NOT piss this woman off.**_

 _ **And didn't you say before that no one was out of your league?**_

Witty. Of course. Kyle laughed out loud and quickly looked around before covering her mouth and continuing to laugh.

 _ **NOT helpful!**_ _**Lol You should see this woman.**_

Send. And the response was almost immediate.

 **I'm going to need picture proof.**

Kyle laughed and shook her head.

 **How in the hell do you propose I pull that off? You know what? Forget that. I'll have your picture. Stay tuned.**

Kyle sat her phone to the side as Ruby returned with her food, dropping it off and walking away. Kyle ate her breakfast in silence, sending a few messages back and forth with the other girls. When she was finished, Kyle remained in her seat while she waited on her change from the bill.

"So you're not from around here?" Ruby asked as she handed Kyle the money she owed her.

"Just passing through." Kyle answered. She skipped finishing off the cup of coffee this time, suddenly wondering if she should be eating or drinking _anything_ in this town. "I'm on a road trip."

"Alone?" Ruby's sad look on her face caused Kyle to laugh again.

Kyle nodded. She was giving up. For some reason, this woman had no clue who she was, despite meeting each other the day before. "Yeah. Which is probably how I managed to get lost. I was blaming my GPS, but if I had been paying better attention, I wouldn't have driven an hour out of my way and ended up here."

"GPS?"

"Yeah. Nevermind." Kyle just smiled. Eager to leave, she dropped a tip on the counter and threw her hand up as she walked out the door and mumbled "Good luck with your Mayor!"

Kyle sprinted to her truck, eager to find out exactly what had been wrong with it. When she rounded the back driver's side, she expected to find a bill or something stuck to the windshield or driver's side door, knowing she'd have to go pay and get her key back. Finding no trace of a bill, Kyle took a deep breath and started off to the other side of the street to talk to the mechanic. Pulling her keys out of her back pocket, Kyle looked down as she stepped onto the sidewalk and stopped dead in her tracks. Flipping through her keys, she looked up to see if anyone was watching her and threw her head back.

"No way. No fucking way." Kyle was standing there with her truck key in her hand, distinctly remembering that she had handed it to the shop owner the morning before. Making a beeline for her truck, Kyle opened her truck door and hopped into the driver's seat. Shoving the key into the ignition, she said a silent prayer to whoever might be listening and turned the key. Nothing happened. "DAMNIT!"

Kyle was out of the truck and slamming the door before she could stop herself. All she wanted to do was get out of town and it was starting to feel like the entire world was working against her. Momentarily forgetting she was in public, Kyle kicked her front tire and yelled something incoherently before slamming her hand down on the hood of the truck. She ran both hands over her face and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Is there a problem?"

Kyle jumped at the sound of a voice behind her. She turned around to find the Sheriff standing there with her arms across her chest. Conveniently just like the day before. _Are all the women in this town crazy?_ The Sheriff continued to stare at Kyle until she finally responded.

"No. Not at all." Kyle shook her head, attempting to calm down and wondered just how much the woman had seen of her fit today. "Sorry. I forgot you're a cop."

"The Sheriff, actually." Emma cocked her head to the side again and Kyle waited for what was coming next. "So, uh, what was that all about?"

"Sorry about that outburst, Sheriff. I-"

"Yeah, that's not what I asked you." The Sheriff took a step towards Kyle, but this time she didn't bother to move.

"My truck won't start." Kyle leaned back against the door and looked over at the woman standing next to her. Emma looked across the street in the direction of the garage and back to Kyle. The whole morning had Kyle completely exhausted and she hadn't even done anything except have breakfast. "I need to get it looked at."

"I didn't catch your name."

"Kyle." The Sheriff accepted Kyle's hand when she offered it. "Sorry. It's the only name I have and your Mayor doesn't seem to like it very much."

"Ah. You met Regina, then. Let me guess, you pissed her off?"

"Yep." Kyle nodded and shrugged. There wasn't much she could do about it now.

"Not surprised. I'd congratulate you, but you're not the first. That's typically my job. I'm Emma. Swan."

"Thanks for stopping, Sheriff." Kyle pushed away from the truck and stood up straight. Somehow she needed to get the mechanic to work on her truck now. "I guess I need to go see...Michael?"

"Yeah. Tell him I sent you over." Emma said as she turned to leave, heading in the direction of Granny's. Maybe it was something about the diner that was causing the day from hell and wreaking havoc on Kyle's life? With any luck, Kyle thought to herself, she wouldn't have to investigate the idea.

"Thanks, Sheriff."

 **. . .**

"Well it's not a dead battery, that's for sure." Michael dropped the hood on Kyle's truck and dusted off his hands. "I'll get a couple of my guys to give it a push over to the shop and we'll take a look at it first thing in the morning."

"Ohhh no!" Kyle was shaking her head. There wasn't a chance in hell she was going to let him walk away this time. "You don't understand. I need you to fix it today. Now. I'm only passing through. I'm not staying here again!"

"I already have a couple of cars in my shop as it is." Michael shoved his dirty rag into his back pocket. "Looking at it tomorrow is me doing you a favor. I'll need your key, ma'am."

"Do I look like a _ma'am_ to you?" Kyle deadpanned. But Michael didn't respond. Of course he wouldn't respond because that wasn't part of the monologue _yesterday_. _God forbid!_

"You'll want to go see Granny. She runs the Inn as well as the diner." Michael said as he took the truck key from Kyle and turned to walk away.

"Why did I stop?" Kyle asked herself as she opened the back end of her truck. She grabbed the two bags she'd taken with her yesterday and headed back to Granny's to see Ruby about a room. Reminding herself as she walked, Kyle knew she didn't have anywhere in particular to be. There was just something that wasn't sitting right. _Maybe Catherine was right. Maybe I AM stuck in the fucking Twilight Zone time continuum thingy she mentioned._ "One day and you've lost your mind!"

"You're back!" Ruby's voiced piped in as soon as Kyle walked back through the doors of the diner. "And you have bags. Did you decide to stay?"

"Actually I'm trapped here." Kyle sighed dejectedly and wondered just how far this whole thing was going to go. "I'm sorry Ruby. My truck won't start. Again. The guy across the street said he would fix it this morning but now he's telling me it's going to be tomorrow morning and he said ' _You'll need to see Granny about a room'._ So here I am. Again."

"Or me!" Ruby's bubbly personality wasn't cutting it for Kyle anymore. All she wanted to do was get back to the room she hadn't even checked out of, but apparently hadn't even been in yet if you asked these people. She would just lock herself away until her truck was fixed. If she could just get into the room she would be safe. "Granny, we have a guest! I'm just going to take her over to the Inn and get her checked in!"

Instead of taking the lead, Kyle allowed Ruby to walk in front of her. She attempted to avoid talking, but somehow the conversation from the previous day was repeating itself. Just as they walked through the archway of the courtyard, Kyle was thankful not to see the Mayor standing there. Kyle reached to pull her phone out of her pocket when it caught her belt loop and slipped out of her hands. She kept walking and bent down to pick it up. As she was standing back up, Kyle crashed straight into Regina, causing Ruby to gasp. Again.

"Son of a bitch. I cannot win." Kyle mumbled and exhaled loudly.

"You." If looks or words could kill, Kyle and Ruby would both be dead. Twice.

"Madam Mayor, I was just taking-"

"Yourself for a walk?" Regina raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow at Ruby whose shoulders dropped on cue. Ruby slinked away just as she'd done the day before without so much as a word.

"Ruby, wait!" Kyle yelled after her, hoping to change the course of things, but Ruby failed to pay her any attention. When Ruby stopped in the same spot several yards away, Regina turned back to Kyle and stared blankly at her. "I just want to get a room."

"You have _bags."_ Eyebrow still raised a mile high, Regina waited for Kyle to respond. "Why are you still in my town?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer." Kyle laughed at her own response and wondered if Regina would have anything to say. After a moment went by without a word, the staring contest ended. Kyle turned to walk away but stopped suddenly when Catherine's message popped into her head. Unlocking her phone, Kyle stepped back up to the Mayor, held up her phone and snapped a picture without even asking. She smirked to herself at the disgusted look on the woman's face, but didn't give her a chance to react before she jogged away. When she caught up to Ruby the repetitive morning resumed.

"I don't know what you said to her, but I could see the vein on her forehead from here." Ruby laughed. "That wasn't very smart, you know?"

"Yeah, well...We'll see how tomorrow goes and then I'll worry about how pissed off she is right now!"

Once she was safely tucked away in the same room as the day before, Kyle threw herself back on the bed and quickly sent the pic to her friend.

 **See. Told you she was hot.**

It took a moment, but eventually Catherine responded.

 **Eh. She's okay. But definitely** _ **your**_ **type. You're screwed. And unfortunately, probably not in the good kind of way.**

 **Day 5**

Miraculously, day three had gone by without incident. It only took Kyle until the end of day two to realize that the Mayor clearly had a routine. Knowing that she would be leaving the diner at 8:30 every morning made it easy for Kyle to avoid the confrontation altogether. She had simply waited on the sidewalk at the entrance of the Inn and watched until the Mayor was long gone before going to get something to eat. Ruby had still somehow managed to forget Kyle overnight, so she'd had to check into the Inn all over again just like the days before. However, much to Kyle's relief, stalling until well after the Mayor had come and gone had changed things up a bit. Her conversation with Ruby had changed and somehow she'd managed to say little more than asking for a room which she managed to hide out in until the next morning.

Day four had basically repeated itself. Surprise, surprise. Kyle managed to avoid the Mayor and the Sheriff both, again. She watched as everyone around her seemed to do the exact same things they'd done the day before but found she could alter the routines slightly if she simply interacted with them. The only problem was that the next day, no one seemed to remember the day before. Every morning she checked her truck only to find that it still wouldn't start. Something about this town was seriously holding her hostage. Or better yet, she'd decided that everyone in the town was being held hostage and she was the only one who had any idea it was happening.

On the morning of day five, Kyle rolled out of bed and started gathering her things. Taking her bags back and forth to her vehicle was already getting old. Much like everything else that was happening. Every day she seemed to wake up at exactly 7:45 in the morning despite having set an alarm for a much earlier hour. And in her head, it was Wednesday, but clearly she was stuck in the never ending Friday. Sitting back down on the bed, Kyle looked around and wondered what would happen if she simply left her things in the room and went about her day. _No time like the present to find out._ Kyle was determined to find out just how much she could change things up. What would it matter? It would all start right back over in the morning anyway.

"Why the hell not?" Kyle jumped up. She quickly changed her clothes, grabbed her phone and started to send a message to Catherine as she was walking out of the room.

 **I feel a change of pace coming on today. What are the chances of me getting arrested for having a little fun?**

Send. A moment later, her response was buzzing in her hand as she reached the front sidewalk.

 **Well do you** _ **plan**_ **on breaking the law? If so, that's going to depend on you getting caught. Or what kind of mood the Sheriff is in. Are you going to terrorize the town or just mess with people's heads?**

 **By the way, is it still Friday to everyone there? Because the fact that it's actually Wednesday means something really freaky is going on. But I'm intrigued and curious about how long this is going to go on. And how do you get it to stop?**

Kyle laughed and shook her head.

 **Not doing anything illegal. Yet. Planning to avoid the Sheriff. I actually like her. No terrorizing the town. Yet. Just thought I'd wing it. But I'm probably about to run into Regina and we know she's not my biggest fan.**

As Kyle hit send, she quite literally ran into Regina who was walking through the archway of Granny's courtyard. Kyle's phone tumbled out of her hands and landed a couple feet away from where they were standing. She did her best not to laugh at the look that immediately washed over Regina's face. The woman was pissed and rightfully so. But luckily, she still hadn't spilled her coffee. Kyle had no idea what to say and wondered how long it would take for the fuming woman to choke the life out of her regardless of the fact that she was a stranger.

"Excuse you." Regina's words were clipped and precise.

"Me? _You_ knocked _my_ phone out of _my hand._ I don't see your _coffee_ on the ground." Kyle had yet to pick up said phone, refusing to take her eyes off the tenacious brunette in front of her.

"Because _you_ were not watching where you were going." Regina was getting more annoyed as the seconds and minutes ticked by and the vein on her forehead was slowly starting to show. Kyle briefly wondered just how far she could push before the woman strangled her right there on the sidewalk. She really was wound up tight and Kyle couldn't help but wonder why. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"My mother. My name is Kyle and it's not a man's name, despite the thought I _know_ is going through your head right now." Kyle smarted off without missing a beat but then another thought occurred to her. "How do you know I wasn't watching where I was going? If you _saw_ me supposedly not paying attention, then this whole thing _is_ your fault. Did you want to run into me because you don't know who I am?"

" _What_ are you doing in my town?" Regina plastered a fake smile on her face and Kyle was slightly concerned about what this woman could be capable of. She was the Mayor after all.

"That's right. You're the Mayor, right? Mayor Mills?" Kyle nodded and watched Regina's eyes grow curious. Most likely wondering how Kyle knew who she was, when she didn't know who Kyle was. "I've heard about you."

"And _what_ does that mean?" Regina was taken aback by Kyle's subtle attitude. No one ever talked back to Regina, least of all someone she didn't know. Didn't this person know they were talking to the Evil Queen? Well, the former Evil Queen. Regina only thought of herself that way _before_ coffee every morning. And who the hell was this person anyway? Regina wondered how it was possible for someone to be in her town for 32 years and never have run into them. She stuck her chin out defiantly. "Explain yourself."

"Yeah...no." Kyle finally responded, annoyed with the woman's attitude. Just as she was about to walk away, on a whim Kyle did the first thing that came to mind. Reaching out, Kyle nailed the bottom of Regina's coffee cup, sending it tumbling out of her hand. Being the smart woman that she was, Regina jumped back instead of trying to save the hot drink. Kyle covered her mouth and laughed at the horrified look on the Mayor's face until she surveyed the scene and realized the consequences of her actions.

" _Are you insane? What the hell is wrong with you?_ "

Regina was about to lunge for Kyle just as she bent down and picked up her phone. It was dripping wet with coffee and Kyle shook it to get as much off of it as she could. She'd have to clean it up in the diner. The woman whose coffee her phone was wearing was all but forgotten as Kyle attempted to wipe the drink off with her free hand. The phone and her hands both were going to be a sticky mess. That was definitely her own fault, but more than worth it to see the look on the regal woman's face. Regina was stopped short when they both heard someone coming and turned to find the Sheriff walking their way. She had apparently witnessed the whole incident and picked up her pace because she was clearly trying to walk fast enough to reach them without actually running.

"What's going on here?" Emma asked as she came to a stop just shy of the puddle of coffee. Thinking quickly, Kyle reached back down and picked up the coffee cup as well and wondered how much the Sheriff had actually seen. Kyle had been facing the direction Emma had come from, but hadn't seen her beforehand. "Regina? Everything okay?"

"We just had a little accident." Kyle smiled innocently and spoke up before Regina had the chance to. "The Mayor didn't see me and we ran into each other. I was almost wearing her coffee." Kyle let out a nervous laugh. Regina still wasn't speaking and Kyle was quite proud of herself for leaving the woman so speechless. "My phone however, wasn't quite so lucky. No worries Mayor Mills. I'm sure it survived."

" _You're_ not going to!" Regina raised her hand and Kyle had no idea what she was about to do, but she was stopped short when Emma quickly grabbed her arm.

"OOO-KAY!" Emma's voice got a little high pitched as she urged Regina to put her hand down. "I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding. _Right_ , Regina?"

Regina looked at the Sheriff; the urge to argue was clearly on the tip of her tongue. And Kyle watched in fascination as she slowly conceded to the Sheriff's urging. Kyle made a mental note to find out what that was all about. Later, of course. For now, she was going to take her leave while the Mayor was distracted by the Sheriff. She'd have to find out later what other buttons she could push. Surely something was bound to give and put an end to this rinse and repeat day. Kyle just needed to figure out what it was. Before Regina could respond to the Sheriff, Kyle spoke up instead.

"Nice talking to you." Kyle threw her hand up as she stepped away from the scene of the accident. With a smirk she added, "Mayor."

 **. . .**

"Ruby?" Kyle caught the waitress's attention as she was finishing up her food. Ruby slid Kyle's bill across the table and quirked an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "Do you know where I might find the Sheriff? I...saw her out front this morning. Does she...have a routine or is the Sheriff's Station close by?"

"Emma?" Ruby's stare was questioning but she didn't inquire as to how Kyle might know the Sheriff. Never mind the fact that Emma hadn't even introduced herself this time around. The truth was Kyle didn't know the Sheriff. But she did have some questions for her. "She was probably just making her morning rounds. Sometimes she does that on foot. Uhm...you can probably find her at the station. It's just around the corner. I can give her a call, if you'd like?"

"No! No, that's not necessary. I'm just having some car trouble and have some questions for her."

"Shouldn't you talk to _the mechanic_ about car trouble?" Ruby seemed confused and rightfully so. Kyle was an outsider and suddenly she was asking questions and acting like she knew people she couldn't possibly know. At least, not as far as Ruby was concerned. "Michael's right across the street. He could probably-"

"Thanks for your help, Ruby!" Kyle cut her off only feeling slightly bad about it. It's not like Ruby would remember it tomorrow anyway. Kyle pulled out her wallet and left enough money for her food and a tip. "I gotta run. Maybe we'll see each other around!"

Several minutes later, after wondering around a couple of blocks, Kyle finally stumbled onto the Sheriff's station and noticed a cruiser sitting outside. Given the fact that Emma had been walking the last time Kyle had seen her, meant that it made no difference whether or not the cruiser was in front of the building. That didn't mean the Sheriff was there. When she entered the building, Kyle took note of the eerie silence but quickly brushed it off. In a zero stop light kind of town, it was unlikely there was very much crime. Kyle was hard pressed not to be surprised the town even had a Sheriff. When she finally found an open door at the end of a long hall, Kyle stuck her head around the corner and saw Emma sitting behind a desk in an office mainly enclosed in glass. Knocking on the door, Kyle unintentionally startled Emma out of whatever task she was currently concentrating on.

"Sheriff Swan?" Kyle smiled and walked further into the room, stopping in the doorway of the inner office. Emma looked up at the stranger standing in her doorway and smiled. Kyle could see the hesitancy in her eyes, but still she smiled even though Emma was most likely wondering how the new person in town could possibly know her name. "Got your name from the waitress at the diner. I was hoping I could ask you some questions?"

"How about I ask _you_ some questions first?" Emma stood up, gesturing to the seat across from her desk, suggesting that Kyle take a seat. Emma Swan was about the same height as Kyle but somehow her authoritative demeanor managed to get the point across. Kyle sat down and waited for whatever was coming next. "You sure managed to piss Regina off this morning."

"Is...that a question?"

"It doesn't really take much to rile Regina up." Emma commented again and Kyle wondered when the actual questions would happen. "We also don't really get many _visitors_ here in Storybrooke. Actually, we don't get _any_ visitors here in Storybrooke."

"I'm not sure how to answer any of those...questions?" Kyle stared at Emma with a look of confusion. _Why is everyone in this town so fucking weird?_ It was almost like they were hiding something. "I actually didn't come here on purpose."

Emma tossed her pen onto a stack of paperwork and walked around, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. The Sheriff stared at Kyle for several long moments before finally speaking up again. "What's your name?"

"Kyle. Parker." Kyle held out her hand but Emma only glanced at it before standing up and moving to take a seat behind her desk again. There was something about Emma she liked, but at the same time, it was almost as if the woman was on guard and Kyle couldn't help but wonder why. Looking at her hand, Kyle dropped it back to the arm of the chair. Would the awkward situations never end? "I was going to ask if you had any tourism info. Since I'm here, I might as well take in the sights."

"Regina isn't going to like that." Emma smirked and shook her head. She might not have been fond of the newcomer but Kyle wasn't setting off any alarms which made Emma even more curious. "And there's really not a lot to do here. Unless you enjoy hiking or windy walks on the beach."

"Maybe I'll grab my camera out of my truck and go do that." Kyle nodded thoughtfully at the idea.

"You're a photographer." Emma stated but it almost sounded like a question.

"No. I just like taking pictures in my spare time." She shrugged and slouched down in the chair a little. "I'm from Florida. I was on a road trip, driving up the coast and somehow I got lost and ended up here. It seemed like as good a place as any to stop and rest."

"Well if you need anything while you're here, just let me know." Emma stood then and Kyle realized she was being dismissed. Somehow she'd gotten sidetracked from why she'd even come to the Sheriff's office to begin with but that was fine. There was always tomorrow.

"Thanks, Sheriff."

 **. . .**

Stopping by her truck, Kyle rifled around in the bag and dug out her backpack with her camera equipment in it. Unable to drive her truck anywhere, she locked it up and set off walking through town. The entire place was surrounded by woods; she was bound to find a hiking trail at some point or another. A couple blocks into town, Kyle looked to her right and saw a sign in front of a building stating that it was the town hall with the Mayor's title and name below it. Kyle immediately veered off course and headed straight for the building in question. Once inside, she followed the information boards until she came to a secretary sitting outside a large and somewhat fancy door.

"Can I help you?" The young girl behind the desk asked politely.

"Yeah. I was wondering if your Mayor might be free?"

The girl picked up the phone and spoke quietly to someone who Kyle assumed was most likely the Mayor herself. She had no plan whatsoever and was surprised when the girl hung up the phone and told Kyle she could go into the office. Kyle wasn't religious and sure as hell wasn't Catholic, but for some reason she felt the urge to cross herself before grabbing the doorknob and pushing the door open. As she stepped into the large office, Kyle found it mildly overwhelming but barely had time to look around before the Mayor looked up to see who was bothering her without an appointment.

"Out." Regina stood up the minute she saw the offensive stranger walking into her office and pointed to the door she'd just come through. "Get out of my office. Right now."

"Mayor Mills. If I could just-"

"No! You don't get to talk." Regina cut Kyle off mid-sentence. "After that stunt you pulled this morning, I-"

"I came to apologize for that." Kyle interrupted her this time. She wasn't actually sorry. The woman was abrasive and needed to calm down. She'd totally deserved having Kyle flip her cup out of her hand. She was just lucky not to be wearing it. Regina looked at Kyle in disbelief, waiting for whatever was coming next. "I was thinking maybe I could buy you a coffee tomorrow morning? Or breakfast even?"

Regina didn't bother to respond. The clenching of her jaw and lack of words was enough. Kyle had to resist the urge to smile. Regina Mills was hot. She took note of the absence of a ring on the Mayor's left hand and wondered briefly how old she was. She looked young enough. Probably close to Kyle's age. But she was the Mayor. Kyle snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed the woman's facial expression change from anger to something along the lines of curiosity and annoyance.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

Kyle looked down at her t-shirt, jeans and converse.

"Clothes?" Kyle shrugged in confusion then smirked to herself. Looking Regina in the eyes, an action in itself which denoted a challenge, Kyle added, "Should I not be?"

"I'm talking about that hideous thing on your back." Regina raised an eyebrow, not finding Kyle amusing at all.

 _Ah. The backpack._ Kyle laughed. "You don't like my turtle shell?"

"How _old_ are you?" Regina was well over their conversation and wanted nothing more than to throw Kyle out of the room, but for some reason, she just kept talking.

"35." Kyle tucked her thumbs into the straps of the backpack and held onto them as she rocked back on her heels. "You?"

"My son is 13 and even he would find that childish." Regina ignored Kyle's question. "And _you_ look 12."

"You have a son?" Kyle was intrigued. She dismissed the Mayor's dig about her age. Kyle knew she looked much younger than she was. Her short boyish hairstyle and clothing choices only added to it. "Are you married?"

"That's none of your business."

"What about the Sheriff?" Kyle decided to push her buttons again. She knew it was a bad idea. But she had nothing better to do with her life at the moment.

Regina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What, pray tell are you asking about the Sheriff?"

"Is she your girlfriend? Because earlier, you two-"

"Out." Regina was back to pointing to the door and stepping out from behind her desk. Kyle took a step back as the woman got closer. "Take that hideous green thing and yourself and get out of my office and _do not_ come back!"

With one hand on Kyle, Regina was shoving her towards the door and out of the office. The minute Kyle was clear of the door, Regina slammed it shut and Kyle could hear the click of the lock. _Maybe tomorrow I'll lead with that question instead of working my way up to it._ She laughed to herself as she walked past the secretary who never once looked back up at her.

"I should probably avoid the coffee incident too. And find out why I keep running into her twice?" Kyle mumbled to herself. Taking out her phone, Kyle pulled up her text messages and clicked on a friend's name.

 **So, you know the whole stuck in this town thing I was telling you about? Yeah...the mayor is wound so tight she's about to snap! But damn, she's hot! There's something about that bitchy attitude that makes me want to ask her out! Maybe being stuck here won't be so bad!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3, Day 6**

Once again Kyle woke up to the same day all over again. She'd gotten good at her timing and making sure when and when not to show up at Granny's in order to avoid running into Regina. Literally. She knew it was the same day because she would stand back and watch the woman walk through the door, down the steps and down the street. Then and only then would she enter the restaurant for breakfast. She'd gotten good at avoiding talking to people in order to explore and figure out how things worked in this cursed town. Or maybe _she_ was cursed. Kyle had yet to figure that one out too. And for the most part people seemed to ignore her presence which worked out to her advantage.

Kyle still had yet to figure out why Regina was either returning to Granny's or walking past Granny's a second time every day. But this morning she decided to wait it out and find out what exactly the woman was doing. So instead of leaving the diner, Kyle remained on the bar stool, playing with her phone and talking to her friends and watching the time.

 **Catherine. I'm in hell. I'm literally stuck in hell. I don't know what the fuck this town wants from me and why I'm trapped here. I've laid low and checked things out. It seems for all intents and purposes like a nice quaint little town. But there has to be something I'm missing…**

Message sent, Kyle dropped her head onto her arm and shoved her phone aside. She still had about 10 minutes before the Mayor would be turning up again. Her phone buzzed.

 **Sugar plum, I really do feel sorry for you and wish there was something more I could do to help you figure it out. Maybe it has something to do with the Mayor? Or the Sheriff?**

Kyle read the message more than once before replying. At this point, she was willing to entertain _any_ possibility.

 **You're probably right. I'm still sitting in the diner right now waiting to see if the Mayor turns up again.**

She sent the message and watched the time. She still had about 5 minutes. So she waited. Her phone buzzed again.

 **Those are the two you've had to interact with the most, right? And maybe you could just stop one of them, probably the Sheriff because she seems like the more reasonable of the two and tell them you're living an eternal groundhog day! What's the worst that could happen? You get thrown in jail for being a complete nutter and when you wake up, you'll be back at the Inn and you can try it all over again.**

Kyle laughed to herself and just as she was about to reply she heard the bell above the diner door jingle and turned to see the Mayor walking back through the door. She hadn't been paying attention and if the Mayor hadn't brushed by she would have missed her completely. _So she comes back in?_ Kyle wondered. She kept her head down as the Mayor walked past her and down to the end of the counter where Ruby was standing near the register. She saw their mouths moving, but couldn't hear a word either of them was saying. _Damnit…_ Kyle considered, for a moment, waiting until Regina was gone and simply asking Ruby what the exchange was about. Then she saw Regina slide a ten across the counter to Ruby and walk away.

Kyle entertained the idea that maybe the Mayor had simply forgotten to tip the waitress, but she knew better. She'd had one too many unfriendly run-ins with the woman to believe she'd tip _anyone_ ten dollars. And least of all for a cup of coffee. _Unless it's just me she despises on sight? For all I know, those two are good friends._ Kyle shook her head. Unlikely. _She probably doesn't even have any friends._ Kyle thought to herself and immediately felt bad for it. Tomorrow she would just have to sit at the other end of the bar. She glanced over her shoulder and watched as the brunette walked out the door and picked up her phone again.

 **Another clue to the puzzle. Or maybe I should call it a crumb. It's definitely a crumb. The second time I keep running into the Mayor it's because she's coming back to the diner. She talked to Ruby (the waitress) and slipped her some money. Didn't hear a word of it. Stay tuned.**

Kyle slid off the stool and made her way to where Ruby remained standing. She, unfortunately, answered the same questions as she did the day before as she paid for her meal. All she wanted was to get the hell out of the diner and follow the Mayor. What else better did she have to do? She tried to nonchalantly haul ass out the door and just as she reached the sidewalk she could see the Mayor much further down the street. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw her truck and remembered she needed to check back into the Inn. She waited a moment and continued to watch the other woman walking further and further. Just as she was about to turn away, Kyle watched a young boy, more like a teenage boy, running across the street to catch up to the Mayor.

 _Must be her son._ Kyle watched them interact for a moment before she kissed him on the cheek and they both went their separate ways. Kyle went about digging her things out of the back of her truck, this time, only grabbing her duffle because she would need her clothes. Clothes she was going to have to wash at some point and made a mental note to ask Ruby if there was a place she could do just that. She let the back hatch drop shut and as she scooped up the bag and stood to toss it over her shoulder, Kyle realized the teenager was approaching the diner. She hung back and let him walk through the arbor ahead of her, but not before receiving a subtle but strange look from the kid. He tugged the strap of his backpack further up his shoulder and kept walking. He clearly hadn't meant for Kyle to notice, but Kyle had noticed. _Great. Something else to figure out._

Kyle dropped her duffle on one of the outdoor tables when she felt her phone buzz. Digging her phone back out of her pocket she checked the message only to find a simple ' **Patiently waiting!'** message from Catherine. She wasn't in any hurry so she took a moment to scroll through her group chat only to find 100 plus missed messages. She'd have to read them all later. Maybe while she was doing her laundry.

The girls seemed to think Kyle was screwing with them about being stuck in the same day and had been jokingly playing along. Kyle had no way to prove the fact, so she continued to keep them updated whether they believed her or not. She had, at one point, sent them the picture she'd snapped of the Mayor and everyone got a good laugh at the fact that Kyle had actually stuck her phone in this woman's face. They had all agreed she was hot and had gone on and on about her, in very colorful ways. Yep…those were her girls. Kyle laughed to herself as she shoved the phone back in her pocket.

Kyle grabbed her bag and turned to head into the diner, just in time to bump into another person. _Why in the hell do I keep walking into people? Jesus!_ Kyle righted herself and stepped back. _The teenager. The son of the fucking Mayor. Assumed son._ Kyle corrected herself. _But why the hell else would she have kissed the kid if he wasn't hers?_

"Hey, kid…I'm so sorry!" Kyle immediately apologized. "We good? You didn't spill your..."

"Cocoa. It's just hot chocolate." The teen smiled. "And yeah, I'm good. No spills. And uh, sorry about not paying attention."

Kyle leaned over to grab her bag once again. "It was my-" The kid was already walking away. "-bad."

Kyle was heading to the door when she heard the voice of the Sheriff from out on the sidewalk.

"Hey Kid! Wait up!" Emma jogged passed entrance of the diner to where the teenager had stopped.

"Hi ma…" the kid leaned into a hug the Sheriff had initiated and Kyle wondered if she'd just heard him right. "I'm 14 ma. You still want to walk me to school?"

"Well yeah, unless you're _too cool_ for that now?" Emma teased the kid as they walked away.

Kyle needed to rent her room for the night and focus on her laundry. Shit just kept getting more complicated. Did the kid belong to the Sheriff or the Mayor? The Mayor had gotten all kinds of bent out of shape the day Kyle had asked if Emma was her girlfriend. Maybe she should ask the Sheriff if the Mayor was her girlfriend. _And the Sheriff could throw you in jail instead of just out of her office like Regina had._ Kyle shrugged to herself. _Tomorrow's always a new day!_ She thought sarcastically.

 **Day 7**

The next morning Kyle promptly took a seat at the end of the bar, close to where she'd seen Regina talking to Ruby the previous day. She'd managed to miss the Mayor leaving the first time and now she sat with her breakfast in front of her, patiently waiting for the woman to return. And just like clockwork, thanks to the day that never ends, Regina returned and promptly walked to the end of the bar. Kyle kept her head down and continued to eat while eavesdropping.

"Hey Regina! Change your mind about breakfast?" Ruby asked in her usual bubbly tone.

"No. But I do need you to do me a favor." Regina reached in her wallet as she continued to talk. "Around lunchtime, could you send Miss Swan's usual over to the Sheriff's office?"

"Sure, no problem." Ruby smiled and took the ten Regina slid across the counter before she walked away. And once again, Kyle glanced over her shoulder to watch the infuriating yet intriguing woman walk out the door.

 _Lunch? For the Sheriff?_ Kyle sat up straight as an idea suddenly popped into her head. _Maybe she likes the Sheriff? Or maybe they're secretly dating? Maybe that's why she shoved me out of her office…_ Pulling out her phone, Kyle sent two messages. Both the same message but one went to the girls and one to Catherine.

 **Status update. Day 7 and still stuck in Storyhell. The Mayor has a kid but the kid called the Sheriff 'ma'. The Mayor just came in and paid to have lunch sent over to the Sheriff later today. But she got pissed and shoved me out the door the other day when I asked if they were dating.**

Responses from the girls started popping up immediately. Speculating about all the possibilities and all of them urging Kyle to find out what was up. After a week they were fully invested and always asking for progress updates. Catherine was a different story. Catherine was…well, she was Catherine and she absolutely understood Kyle's brand of weird.

 **You're stuck in a wonky time paradox and you're questioning if it's possible these two women share a kid? That's seriously the weirdest thing you're dealing with right now?**

Kyle hated when her friend made sense. But also loved her rationality. It kept Kyle grounded and put her mind back on track.

 **No, okay. No it's not the weirdest thing. I just want this crazy shit to stop and I don't know how to make it! I'm questioning everything I see! Hell, I'm even questioning whether or not I should be drinking and eating the food here!**

Catherine responded immediately.

 **You really probably shouldn't be eating the food or drinking anything there. But you're stuck there. So you're basically out of options. And I need you not to die because I like having you as a friend! Also, if those two are married or shagging or whatever, I guess that means even** _ **your**_ **cocky self won't be charming the pants off of the Mayor OR the Sheriff.**

Kyle laughed out loud before remembering that she was still sitting in the diner and covered her mouth. She shoved the plate away and shot back a quick response.

 **Well I guess it's a good thing I've actually found someone else who'ss been keeping much of my attention lately! It's starting to feel like a really good thing is happening there, too, btw! I'll have to update you on that later!**

Breakfast paid for, Kyle was headed to the door when the teenager from the day before walked in. She almost apologized to him again for bumping into him the previous day when she quickly remembered that he _wouldn't_ remember. But as the two crossed paths, the teen quickly glanced at Kyle before looking straight ahead and walking up to the bar. Kyle knew the moment was weird. No one else in the last seven days had given her a second look. But this kid. This kid and his body language left Kyle feeling unsettled. Like maybe he recognized her. Surely she was just imagining it and there was definitely one way to test the theory.

Once she was outside, Kyle stepped off to the side and waited for the kid to walk back out the door. And just like before, the bell rang when the door opened and out walked the kid. The only difference was that Kyle wasn't there to bump into him. She watched him take a left on the sidewalk and just like before, Kyle heard the sound of the Sheriff yelling after the kid to wait up. _No. Nothing has changed and you were crazy for thinking so._ Kyle was too busy mentally kicking herself to listen to the boy's response and missed his half of the conversation being completely different than it had been the day before.

After that whole fiasco Kyle decided to wonder through town again. She needed a break from all the insanity and opted to take her camera out again and go for a hike. She still didn't know the town very well and knew she shouldn't stray far. Maybe she would stay out long enough to get back into town for lunch. And there were still plenty of streets left to wander and explore. She'd long since given up on trying to get her truck fixed. The truck clearly wasn't the problem and luckily the town was small enough that she could walk anywhere she needed to go.

Kyle checked the time on her phone as she rounded the corner onto a new street. On her way back in from hiking, she'd finally picked a different restaurant to get some food before she was out walking the streets again. By now, she'd been up and down so many streets they were all starting to look the same, so she made sure to check the names in order to mentally map her way back to main street.

"Mifflin." Kyle mumbled to herself. There were some nice houses on Mifflin. And it was that exact thought that made the old yellow Volkswagen up the street stick out like a sore thumb. Kyle kept walking and despite the fact that nothing should be surprising her at this point, she was in fact surprised when she saw the car pull over in front of the biggest house on the street. After a moment the passenger door opened and the teenager she'd met the day before stepped out.

 **Day 8**

Kyle waited patiently at the counter to see if the teenager would show up. She finished off her breakfast and paid, but continued to procrastinate until she heard the bell above the door jingling and saw the kid walking in out of the corner of her eye. Once he was past her, she glanced over, only to find him turning around and glancing at her. The kid quickly turned back around albeit not so subtly and Kyle laughed to herself. _There is definitely something up with this kid,_ she thought.

She waited until he was busy placing his order and quickly rushed outside to hopefully catch him on his way to school. Hopefully without the Sheriff in tow. It seemed like forever before she finally heard the Sheriffs voice yelling for the kid to wait up and she stood there around the corner, trying to listen to the exchange.

"Hey Kid! Wait up!" Kyle heard the Sheriff say.

"Ma... you're out early." Kyle listened to the kid replying and as she suspected, his half of the interaction was completely different. "Don't you have Pongo to chase or something? You don't have to walk me to school. I'm 14, remember?"

"Well yeah, unless you're _too cool_ for that now?" she heard Emma teasing as they slowly grew closer to where Kyle was currently hiding.

Kyle found it curious that the Sheriff was repeating herself like the day before without missing a beat, yet the kid was answering in a completely different way. She suddenly found herself hoping the kid would lose the woman he'd called " _ma_ ", so she could try to strike up a conversation. She had questions and Kyle had a suspicious feeling that this kid would have some answers.

"I'm not _too cool_. You know better." Kyle suddenly couldn't hear them getting closer and wondered what was going on. Risking a glance from around the tree she was leaning against, she saw the kid reaching up and patting the Sheriff reassuringly on the shoulder. "But I'm sure you have work to do." He held a to go cup in one hand and readjusted the strap of his backpack while shifting his feet. "Hey, how about you pick me up from school and give me a ride home? Now _that_ would be great!"

"Yeah, sure Kid. No problem." Kyle watched as the Sheriff leaned over and quickly kissed the kid on the cheek before ruffling his hair and walking away in the opposite direction. He stood there watching as she got further away and rounded the corner of the block. When he turned back, Kyle was standing directly in front of him and the kid let out out a yelp and his cup went flying to the right, out of his hand and splattered all over the sidewalk. " _Damnit!"_

Kyle's eyebrows crawled up her forehead in amusement. _Like mother, like son...maybe?_ She laughed to herself. The teenager ignored her and went about picking up the useless cup, so as to not leave trash on the ground. When he stood up, he stared at Kyle with a curious eye and took a deep breath. "Who are you? What do you want? My moms the Sheriff, you know? Well... _one_ of them is." He stuck his chin out defiantly and puffed out his 14 year old chest as much as he could and Kyle laughed out loud this time.

"Let me guess... The other is the Mayor?" She smirked as she watched his stance falter slightly. "Relax kid. I'm not gonna hurt you. Name's Kyle."

Henry stared at the hand Kyle had offered and instead of taking it, he took a moment to consider it before shoving the now empty to go cup in her hand. "Thanks for nothing." he huffed. "That was a perfectly good hot chocolate. You're gonna owe me another one."

Kyle returned the favor and regarded him carefully before choosing her next words. Did she risk saying something about the repeating days and sounding crazy? Or go with her instincts and take a chance that this kid knew something she didn't. "Don't worry. This day is just gonna repeat itself and tomorrow you'll have a new one and I won't creep up and scare it out of your hand."

"What are you talking about?" Henry cocked his head to the side and Kyle heard the crack in his voice and knew instantly that the kid was playing dumb. "And who are you? I've never seen you around here before. New people don't just show up here."

"Now why is that?" Kyle raised a curious eyebrow. And the teen realized he'd said something he probably shouldn't have. He continued to stand there and didn't respond. "Look kid. I'm gonna level with you. Something weird is going on in this town and I didn't mean to, but somehow I got stuck in the middle of it. Literally. And I have this absolutely crazy feeling that _you_ might know exactly what I'm talking about."

The kid stood there staring at her and she could tell he was clearly fighting some internal battle.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. And I don't know you." He shifted his backpack once again and started to walk away. "I have to get to school. And you should leave town."

"I wish I could..." Kyle mumbled to herself after the teenager was long gone.

 **Day 9**

Kyle had spent the rest of the day wondering the town again, eventually ending up back in her room at the Inn. She couldn't stop thinking about the kid's awkward suggestion that she should leave town. She'd eventually gone back to the Inn and retired for the rest of the night, mentally preparing herself for the inevitable reset the morning would bring. And of course when she woke up, Kyle knew the day was repeating itself again without even leaving the room. Now she just needed to find out why. One thing she did know for sure was that she had to get up and get going so she could catch the kid again before he went to school. The question, though... _Where's the school?_

Turns out, the school wasn't at all hard to find. Kyle had simply walked in the direction the kid had gone and after a couple of streets, there it was. She knew it was still early but the kid had also been on his way the day before a little earlier than what she would deem normal. So she found a bench and she waited, taking out her phone to kill the time. It seemed like forever before Kyle noticed a random kid here and there starting to trickle into the schoolyard. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the teenager she was looking for, heading in her general direction. So she stood, watching him as he got closer and just as he was within speaking distance, the kid walked right past Kyle without so much as speaking to or looking at her.

It took her a moment before she regained her composure and opened her mouth. "Kid! I know you saw me. And I know you remember me! I just wanna talk..."

He took a couple more steps before he stopped and let his head fall back, knowing he wasn't going to be able to fool her. Slowly turning around, he faced the stranger. Kyle wearily took a few steps closer, but still remained far enough out of reach so as to not make the kid feel threatened. After nine days of being stuck reliving the same day over and over, Kyle had finally found someone else who was fully aware of the situation. And if someone else knew, that meant her chances of putting an end to it _had_ to be better. It had to. _Right_? The kid had told her she should leave and honestly Kyle wanted nothing more than to do just that.

"Listen. I know you have to get to class, but I needed to know that _I'm_ not crazy! Because somehow I stumbled into this town nine days ago and all I wanted to do was stop for breakfast and get the hell down the road." Kyle stood there explaining as the kid just stared at her, his face emotionless. "I got back into my truck and the thing wouldn't start. So I got a room. Woke up the next morning, my truck was sitting where I left it, even though that mechanic said he was going to fix it and suddenly, the key to my truck was _back_ on my key ring. And next thing I know, I realize that I'm reliving the same day over and over again. And everyone is oblivious. _Until_ I ran into you."

"That's ridiculous." was the kid's only response.

"You're right. It _is_ ridiculous." Kyle exclaimed in frustration.

"You've got a problem..."

" _Yeah. I do!_ And _you're_ gonna help me fix it!" Kyle took a deep breath, trying not to get upset. "You're the only person in this god forsaken town that knows something isn't right. So unless magic exists...there is something really fucking weird going on here, kid!"

"I have a name." he said. "It's Henry."

"Well...Henry. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"It does exist." He said, shuffling his foot and kicking at the ground, looking down as he spoke.

"What exists?" Kyle was confused.

"Magic." Henry huffed. "It exists. But it's not like _you're_ gonna believe that."

Kyle laughed to herself before rubbing her face with both hands. "Look. If you're gonna be a smart ass, then I'll figure this out on my own."

"I told you you weren't going to believe me!" Henry was getting defensive. _"_ _If you don't want the truth, then why are you bothering me?"_

"So you seriously expect me to believe that magic exists?" Kyle looked at the boy in disbelief.

"Only here." he explained. "How did you even find us? No one else can see the town. To everyone else, it's just a long winding road through the forest. But everything here...it's magic. The town is _made_ of magic."

"Say I believe you." Kyle crossed her arms, eyeing him skeptically. "Where does it come from?"

"The Enchanted Forest." Henry answered without missing a beat.

"Fuck my life." Kyle rolled her eyes and turned to look around. "I'm in hell. _I'm in hell."_ she mumbled to herself before she began to laugh hysterically. "So what? Your mom, the Mayor is Snow White and the Sheriff? No wait. Let me guess. Cinderella?"

And then it was Henry's turn to laugh hysterically. The kid was laughing so hard he was doubled over, dropping his backpack. "Oh my god. Don't ever say that in front of my mom!"

"Henry?" A woman's concerned voice came from the side. "Is everything okay here?"

Kyle immediately stood up straight, cramming her hands into her front pockets as Henry tossed a hand up at the approaching woman. The woman was short, with a round face and short black hair, wearing a simple dress with a belt around the waist and a cardigan sweater.

"Yeah, grandma." Henry's laughing came to a slow halt. His face red. He bent down to pick up his bag and started to walk towards her. _Grandma?_ Kyle thought to herself. _Grandma? What the actual fuck?_ The woman didn't look any older than Kyle was herself. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm late. I was just talking to- What's your name again?"

"Kyle. Kyle Parker."

"Yeah. I was talking to Kyle and didn't hear the bell ring."

"You should get inside, Henry. I'll be right behind you." The woman watched him make his way toward the building, intent on questioning Kyle about exactly who she was and what she'd been discussing with Henry. But Kyle wasn't taking any chances, so she took off around the corner before the woman he'd called grandma could turn around and see her.

As she rounded the corner of the block, Kyle pulled her phone out of her front pocket and unlocked the screen. There were notifications from multiple people. Her friend Catherine, messages from the group chat and more importantly, messages from the woman she'd recently started talking to. Thought she hadn't told the woman what had been happening to her for the last nine days. Kyle didn't want her to think she was crazy and scare her away. Things were going too good. Now if she could just get herself out of the town that time forgot.


End file.
